Head of Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Design

Head of Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Design, London

Isomorphic Labs (Iso Labs) was launched in 2021 to advance human health by building on and beyond the Nobel‑winning Alpha Fold system. We are building an AI‑powered drug design engine that works across therapeutic areas and drug modalities, and we need a strategic leader to drive our medicinal chemistry team.

As Head of Medicinal Chemistry, you will provide scientific leadership and strategic direction for the Medicinal Chemistry team, guiding projects through to clinical candidate nomination. You will oversee a growing team of ~25 medicinal chemists, mentor and develop talent, and collaborate with AI/ML scientists to refine our platform.

• Provide portfolio guidance for the London Drug Design portfolio, acting as a senior advisor to Chemistry Leads.
• Direct line management and strategic oversight of the team, setting goals and fostering a high‑performance culture.
• Champion an AI‑first approach, ensuring chemists are empowered to use AI tools.
• Collaborate internally and with third‑party organisations to connect Chemistry, Computational Drug Design, Biology and Pre‑Clinical Development.
• Represent the company externally, managing CRO resources and monitoring KPIs.
• Continuously optimise workflows, challenge traditional medicinal chemistry dogma, and promote inclusion and professional development.

• PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry or a related technical field, or equivalent industrial experience.
• Minimum 10+ years of medicinal chemistry experience within pharma/biotech/CRO.
• Proven track record of leading medicinal chemistry on drug discovery projects, from Hit Identification to Lead Optimisation/Candidate Nomination, with familiarity of DMPK optimisation.
• Passion for drug discovery and enthusiasm for AI/ML transformation.
• Line management, mentorship and scientific talent development experience.
• Excellent strategic thinking, problem‑solving and decision‑making in complex challenges.
• Experience managing CRO resources.
• Strong track record of scientific achievement, evidenced by publications, patents and presentations.

• Experience with fragment‑based drug design.
• Experience with structure‑based drug design.
• Track record of leading large teams and managing through other managers.

Hybrid model: you will be required to work from the London office 3 days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and one other day).

We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital status, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis protected by applicable law. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please let us know.